There are many ways to eat sweets and desserts. I prefer tongue-in-cheek.

Sunday, August 31, 2014

Minneapolis: Ice Cream Indoors

Worth braving the elements for.

This post is part of a series celebrating my new favorite ice cream destination, Minneapolis.

• • •

What happens for dessert-seekers in Minneapolis after the cold settles in, when the desire to be outdoors ranks
about as high as the Minnesota Twins so far this season? For those months there
is a dessert worthy of bundling up and trekking to: Sweet Science Ice Cream.
You can't take the Skyway to get there, but all you
need to do is walk a short block-and-a-half west of the Franklin Avenue Metro stop. When you see the sign that says “Verdant Tea,”
you’ve arrived at your destination.

Imagine yourself inside here...

...and snow out here.

Once you enter the cozy teashop, you’ll feel warmed by the
wooden tables and accents as well as the light green/sage toned walls. Though
it reminds you of the interior of a lodge-y coffee shop, it more closely
resembles a boutique stationary store, card shop or florist. You smile, unravel
your scarf and know that this is an excellent place to steal away for a wintry
evening. All that’s missing from the scene is a fireplace, but that might lean
too far into the category of those ubiquitous ski lodge coffee shops. Not that
it wouldn’t be nice. Still, you can thaw out by picking your poison of hot
drink. After all, there’s ice cream to be eaten.

Sated (and having regained the feeling in your toes), you
approach the counter, looking at the display of ice cream options, each flavor
represented by a colored periodic table square and scientific abbreviation. The
person at the counter tells you that though Sweet Science is a separate entity
from Verdant Tea, all of the ice cream is made in-house in their
backroom. Small batches—maybe ten pints each—and fresh ingredients. None of
that corn syrup garbage. You weigh your options, knowing you’ll want two of the
$3 minis they sell…and at least one pint you’ll buy later to take home. But all
of the flavors sound good. How will you ever decide?

When was this lesson in chemistry class?

You settle on Dark Chocolate Sorbet—the staff person said
she preferred this to the chocolate ice cream—and Rhubarb Cinnamon Almond.
You’re presented with two plastic cups on a plate with two tiny spoons. You
find a seat that looks out huge windows onto the snow-covered scene outside.
You laugh a little to yourself about the pleasant absurdity of eating ice cream
in this weather. And then you open the lids.

A few bites in, you switch to the Rhubarb Cinnamon Almond.
It tastes all the more creamy following the sorbet. You recognize that the primary
flavor is the cinnamon base, which creeps along the line of not quite spicy and
not quite sweet. In bursts, the rhubarb jelly swirls punch out. The almond, it
seems, functions primarily as a garnish, resting only on the surface layer, but
is a welcome addition. It adds to the overall concept of a rhubarb crisp a la
mode.

Ignore the nose prints.

After finishing, you consider trying another flavor before
cursing your stomach for not being larger! But then you lean back, gazing out
the window realizing you don’t have anywhere else to be. You might just hang
out here until closing. Looking around, you realize this must be a great place
in the warmer months, too. Big windows, some space for a few outdoor tables.
So why ever go home, you think? Why not just hibernate here until the summer comes?

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About Me

I don’t claim to know the most about ice cream, but in my age bracket I’ve gotta be in the 93rd percentile. And since no rewards, scholarships, or grants are given for this, I have taken the next logical step: blogging.